Business loan borrower Leicester

GEORGIE ANSELL: BUILDING A STRONG BUSINESS

by Business Success StoriesNews

“Life is about living and you work for the majority of it, so why not do something you love!” 

These wise words come from Georgie Ansell, who is proof that following a passion for a career can be hugely satisfying and rewarding, with her business, Georgie Ansell Personal Training, now thriving thanks in part to our interest-free business loan. 

Georgie grew up in Rutland with her mum, dad and brother and returned to the county soon after completing an undergraduate degree in Leeds. 

“I then travelled South East Asia, which was one of the most amazing experiences,” Georgie explained. 

“I came back from travelling and decided I wanted to have a career as a PA, so I started working as a receptionist for land developers and worked my way up to being a PA for the COO of the company.” 

While doing this job, Georgie found her love for fitness and having travelled around Australia for six weeks, she decided to take the brave step of changing her career path. 

“I soon left the PA role and trained to be a personal trainer,” she continued.  “During my training I had a full-time job caring for the elderly in Rutland, which was really rewarding.  I have been a qualified PT for just over six years, but running it as a full-time business for 20 months.”

Unlike most other gyms, Georgie Ansell Personal Training provides a small, intimate and comfortable setting for people to train.

“My personal training business offers one-to-one and small group sessions in a private gym based just outside of Oakham, Rutland. The space is unique as its only me and the person training. It takes away the big gym environment and provides a space they can feel comfortable in.” 

“I did some research as I wanted to expand my business,” Georgie reflected when recounting STWLC’s role in her entrepreneurial story.

“The interview was great, the Trustees put me at ease and were very supportive through the whole process.” 

Georgie Ansell

“It was then while searching the web for loans that I came across STWLC. I found the process straight-forward. The business plan gets provided so you know what you need to include. The interview was great, the Trustees put me at ease and were very supportive through the whole process.” 

Once Georgie’s interest-free business loan was approved, she quickly went about putting the funds to good use.

“I used the funds to renovate part of an old chicken shed so I could use it as a private gym space,” Georgie continued. 

“I was also able to purchase equipment for the gym. I bought two sets of cardio machines, a rig, with a squat rack, pull up bar and pulley machine, plus barbells, dumbbells, storage units and much more functional fitness equipment. I also purchased a laptop for admin.”

Finishing with a final word on STWLC’s impact, Georgie put it simply:

“I wouldn’t be in the position I am with my business without them!”

To make an enquiry to Georgie Ansell Personal Training, please email: info@georgieansellpersonaltraining.co.uk 

For more information on our interest-free business loans, available up to £20,000 over a nine-year period with no repayments required in the first three years, please click here

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LULU DOG SERVICES: PAWS AND PAMPERING

by Business Success Stories

Esme Nicholson has come a long way since launching her dog grooming business, Lulu Dog Services, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite being a challenging time full stop, let alone to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship, Esme Nicholson has come out the other side and her business is thriving – thanks in part to The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free business loan.

“The loan made everything possible really,” Esme said when catching up with the Charity recently.

“Business is thriving, I’m fully booked almost all the time and working additional days to keep up!”

At the same time as running a successful business, Esme has also been able to open up the shop to enable work experience students to make some new, furry friends.

“They absolutely love the chance to work with the dogs, and I’m glad I can provide a different kind of ‘working environment’ as I never had the chance to work with animals when I was younger. We now also have another business working in our shop a few days a week which is great.”

Based in Clarendon Park, Lulu Dog Services provides a host of grooming options, including fur clipping, bathing, nail clipping and, in Esme’s words, making them “look beautiful yet practical”.

Looking ahead to the future, Esme added: “We’ve started boarding a few of our regular dogs over the summer, which we love doing! We plan on doing more day care and boarding in the future, as well as keeping up the dog grooming!”

When seeking funding to make her business a reality, Esme first discovered STWLC through a friend, who had herself benefited from the charity’s unique interest-free business loans. From there, Esme reached out to one of the charity’s marketing consultants – Martin Hageman – who explained how the charity worked.

My advice would be to any new upcoming business needing the loan would be ‘go for it!’

Esme Nicholson

“The application process was very straight forward, although I did have my business-savvy dad to help me through,” explained Esme.

“The loan helped me with a lot, as I didn’t have the initial bulk to buy my very expensive equipment,” she added.

“My table and bath came to just under £2,000 which was the biggest amount I spent. It also helped with me opening my shop, paying for the flooring, a lick of paint and the advertisement for the front of my shop and car. Little things like leaflets, beer mats and the local pub helped a lot and spread the word when I couldn’t work. Leafleting became my primary job through lockdown with lots of hand sanitizer in between!

“My advice would be to any new upcoming business needing the loan would be ‘go for it!’ Although the process got tricky sometimes with the business plan and lots of numbers, if you know your business inside and out you will be successful. The interviews were very relaxed and all the trustees were lovely throughout.

“I have, and will continue to, recommend The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity for helping my dreams come true!”

To find out more about Lulu Dog Services, please visit https://www.luludogservices.co.uk/

For more information on The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free business loans, please click here.

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FEAST AND THE FURIOUS: FIRED UP FLAVOUR!

by Business Success Stories

Some people have an entrepreneurial mindset that exists even when their careers are on a different path. It’s a brave move to step away from employment to follow that inner desire to own a business, but it can also be hugely rewarding.

Having worked in retail from the age of 17 and become manager of several stores, Jon Oakes decided to leave at the age of 30 to start his own business, Feast and the Furious in Melton Mowbray.

“My main hobby was BBQ and smoking, so I thought my USP could be authentic American BBQ,” Jon began.

“This was very little known in the UK in 2017, so I started a food truck. I was self-taught and whenever I was cooking for other people, they would say how good it was and that is was better than anything they had had elsewhere. They said I should sell it, so that was my reason and driving factor to combine my love for food and BBQ/smoking with my desire to run my own business, leveraging the skills I had learnt from my many years in retail management.”

A smokehouse and smokery based in Melton Mowbray, Feast and the Furious serve hot food from their new fixed location, including smoked beef brisket, pulled pork and ribs.

“We also smoke a range of cold smoked goods such as smoked cheeses, butter, nuts, garlic, salmon and more which we sell at our smokehouse as well as at markets, events and online,” Jon continued.

“We also sell linked products such as hot and cold smoking equipment for people to do it themselves at home, and recently launched courses that we host at the smokehouse to learn further how to smoke at home. We also offer catering for private events such as weddings and corporate as well as wholesale of our products to cafes, delis and shops.”

“We can’t recommend them enough to any business that is seeking funding or thinking of expanding. It’s invaluable and they are a lovely organisation to deal with.”

Jon Oakes

When the time came to look for finance options in order to move from a food truck and small unit to a bricks and mortar smokehouse, Jon discovered The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity.

“We spoke to someone at a business hub who I mentioned the Charity for the grants initially, and when we were unsuccessful with the grant application we found out about the loans that could be provided.”

Available up to £20,000, STWLC’s business loans are interest-free for nine years, with nothing to repay in the first three years, giving small businesses time to establish before equal monthly repayments commence.

“We used the loan to help towards the cost of a brand-new cold smoker, as well as towards the other building works of the smokehouse,” Jon recounted.

“Although there is paperwork to complete and we needed two guarantors for the loan amount we were asking for, it was all worth it for the loan and the terms that come with it, such as having three years before repayments start which is invaluable.

“Without the funding and terms of the STWLC loan, we would have struggled with securing enough finance to fund the project fully and on time,” Jon concluded.

“We would have had to take on high repayment terms which could have made the project unviable, so it came at just the right time and we can’t recommend them enough to any business that is seeking funding or thinking of expanding. It’s invaluable and they are a lovely organisation to deal with.”

To find out more about Feast and the Furious, please visit feastandthefurious.co.uk

For more information about STWLC’s interest-free business loans, please click here

Steff Lee

STEFF LEE: FROM BORROWER TO AMBASSADOR

by Business Success Stories

You may have heard the expression that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Well, in the world of business, that’s often the case. It’s also relatable to Steff Lee: a graduate of graphic design and animation at Norwich Art School, who always knew that she wanted to work in animation. After a year of freelancing, Steff would get her first full-time job in animation, but her vision for the future only grew.

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VEGAN DELIGHTS WITH DHIL’S EATS

by Business Success Stories

From a very early age, cooking was always a passion for Dhilon Devji.

Dhilon grew up in Syston in a shop environment but didn’t immediately enter a career in food; instead taking a Physics degree at the University of Nottingham.

“I loved cooking when I was young, but I didn’t see a future with it from the start because I gave up meat, and vegetarianism and veganism wasn’t that big back then,” Dhilon explained.